Ambassador: Alfonso Pérez
giovedì 1 aprile 2010
Intro articolo
Alfonso Pérez never played for local side Getafe CF but it is after the former Spanish international that their stadium is named.
Contenuti top media
Corpo articolo
Getafe-born Alfonso Pérez never played for his local club but his exploits led to him being honoured by them naming their Coliseum Alfonso Pérez stadium after him when it opened in 1998. It is there that the 2010 UEFA Women's Champions League final will be played, for which Alfonso is the official ambassador.
Date of Birth: 26 September 1972
Nationality: Spanish
Playing career: Real Madrid CF, Real Betis Balompié (twice), FC Barcelona, Olympique de Marseille (loan)
• A Madrid academy product, he made his debut in 1990 and while never a regular, racked up more than 100 appearance over five years, winning the 1992/93 Copa del Rey and 1994/95 Liga.
• In 1995 Alfonso joined Betis and in his second season there scored 25 league goals, breaking a club record, in a prolific partnership with Pier that helped their side to fourth place.
• Alfonso was signed by Barcelona in 2000 but did not carve out a regular place, and in January 2002 was loaned to Marseille. He rejoined Betis that summer and spent the last three years of his career there, retiring after their 2004/05 Copa del Rey win.
• At international level, Alfonso helped Spain to the semi-finals of the 1989 UEFA European Under-16 Championship and 1990 U18 Championship before being part of the side that won 1992 Olympic gold at the Camp Nou.
• His senior Spain debut followed in September 1992 and he played at EURO '96, the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000. He scored an equaliser within a minute of coming on against Bulgaria in 1996 and four years later volleyed in a last-gasp winner to beat Yugoslavia 4-3, his second goal of the game. Overall he won 38 caps, scoring 11 goals.
Did you know?
Alfonso's younger brother, Iván Pérez, was also a Madrid academy graduate − they were team-mates at Betis in the late 1990s and as well more recently in the Real veterans' team.